Little Falls transcript., 1887-03-18
Lady Of the Castle.


men, was Adelheid, heiress Of the cas-
tie and broad lands that had been
owned by her ancestors, and, so far
as beauty went, she was worthy Of her
Lineage, but Of proud and naughty
temper. So proud was she that
among all the mobiles of Brisgan she
could find none whom she thought
worthy to call her lord. fs >sr, =.
Among those whom she had, after
her fashion, first attached to her by
every art, and afterward repelled with
bitter derislon, was q young man OF
noble family, but slender fortune, who
had long been in her service as page
and squire, as the fashion of those
days demanded.
After years OF patient waiting and
hope the youth ventured to declare
himself, and was received by the lady
with a storm OF sarcasms that literal
ly overwhelmed him. Stung to the
heart by hard speeches, and by the
sense OF his own folly and presump-
zion, which suddenly poured upon him
like flood, he left his MISTRESS pres
ence only to write a word OF farewell
to his mother, whose only son he was,
and whom he tenderly loved, then
threw himself into the Rhine.
A few days afterward q woman,
maddened with rage and sorrow. a.
widow whose only son had died a
suicides death, sought the Lady
Ade!heid IN her castle or the hill, &C.
cused her OF being the murderer of her
boy, and heaped upon her head the
bitterest curses that her outraged
mother-heart could devise or her
woman's tongue utter.
''Unloved you shall live," she cried,
"and unregretted die. Even in the
grave you shall find no peace, even
there my revenge shall follow you,
and send you forth to wander, a
restless, miserable ghost forever.n'
"Ah!' cried the lady Adelheid, with
white face and scared eyes, all their
haughtiness flown, :do not utter such
terrible words! Have youno mercy?"
The wretched mother smiled grimly.
Yes, I will have mercy" she said.
'"Thus shall your spirit wander through
these very halls until you find lover
as true, as honest, as pure-hearted as
my poor, lost son, willing to WOO the
phantom Of his bride. Then only
shall you rest in peace.''
Under this curse, says the legend,
the lady OF Windeck lived and died.
She was the last OF her race, and not
many years after her death the
castle, uninhabited and deserted,
fell into ruins. Its new owners, had,
indeed, made many attempts to in
habit it, but had been absolutely driv.
en- out OF the place by the unearthly
sounds which disturbed the stiffness
of the night, and which scarcely al
lowed a living soul in the building 80
much as to close all eye from midnight
to cock.crow. Doors would open and
shut 'nysteriously, footsteps resound
through silent corridors, lights, illu-
mined by no visible hand, suddenly
burn in the windows, While every mir
ror in the house reflected the shadowy
form OF q woman clothed in white,
with long black hair hanging below
her shoulders, would be seen-disap~
pearing IN one place only to
appear the next moment in another.
1t happened, however, that one day
a young hunter Of noble family, Kurt
Won Stein by name, a, stranger guest
IN one Of the neighboring castles, was
led, in the excitement of the chase, up
to the very gate of the deserted man
sion. The deer which he was pursuing
rushed by him into the very ruins, as
though it were taking sanctuary. Aft
er g. while the idea occurred to the
young man that he might as we'll pay
his respects to the owner OF it, wheth-
er she was phantom or not. So he
made his way up the staircase and
knocked at door which was at the
top OF it. The door opened noiseless-
ly. as though by an unseen hand, and
admitted him into long corridor,
lighted, and adorned with white mar
BILE statues. Next he came into q
great hall, on the walls of which hung
q number of antique portraits, which
in the center of the apartment was g.
table spread as if for supper. He sat
quietly down at one end of the tabln,
which was laid for two persons.
Scarcely had he done so when the
door of the room opened noiselesslv,
and a lady young and beautiful, but
with a somewhat sad and pale face
entered the room.
Kurt rose and at once began to
make apologies for his unwarrantable
intrusion. The lady waved white
hand toward him and bade him be
seated.
"Say no more, she said, in sweet,
sad voice. II expected YOU"
There was evidently some mistake
here, thought Kurt, but as the mis-
take seemed to mean good supper,
be was not unwilling to fall into it.
He at once took seat at the table,
and the lady took hers opposite him.
She was certainly beautiful, he
thought, as he looked again at her
over the brimming wine cup. The
wine, too, was excellent; so was the
whole repast-at which the lady wait.
ed on him with her own fair hands.
At length the young man ventured to
ask one or two questions of his kindly
hostess. "May I inquire" he said
ARE you, fair lady, the daughter Of
this house7''
"Yes,' was the answer, given, as it
seemed, sadly and low.
"And your parents?"
"They are there" said the lady,
pointing to the pictures on the wall.
DO you mean to say that you live
in this house alone7" asked Won Stein.
"Alone, " returned the lady. II am
the last OF my race
Who shall say how it came about?
The lady Was beautiful, the man was
young: In such cases love is some
times found to be plant that does
not take long in growing. Moreover,
Won Stein, though noble, was poor,
and the lady the last of her race, the
heiress OF an ancient lineage. Posi-.
hi ae ~.